Their shop, located in downtown Faro, is usually an Aladdin's cave of all kinds of weird and wonderful gemstones. However, after their little girl Luz was born last Christmas, they decided to shut the shop for a few months to get to grips with being first time parents - and to create more space to come back with even more crystals.

The work is taking longer than expected, but we’ll be sure to let you know when they reopen. In the meantime, you can still order their crystals online and if you would like to find out more please follow them on Facebook (@Jami - Healing Energy) or Instagram (@jami_minerals) or visit their website www.jami.pt.

Now, without further ado, on with this month's crystal…

Lapis Lazuli

Lapis lazuli is a mixture of Lazurite with small quantities of Calcite, Pyroxene and other silicates, and usually contains small particles of Pyrite. In certain websites it is called Lazulite, however they are minerals with different compositions and crystalline systems.

In the past, Lapis Lazuli powder was called ultramarine and it was used as a dye for fabrics. (Currently ultramarine is produced synthetically.)

This crystal was a favourite of the ancient Egyptians. They associated its dark blue colour with the night sky, and the pyrite patches resembled the stars, representing the heavens.

They felt that supernatural forces would transform their lives. The robes of priests and royalty were dyed with the pigment to indicate that they were close to the Gods.

Healers used lapis lazuli to prevent gallstones, insomnia, melancholy or fever, as well as being an ingredient for eye drops.

The source for the ancient Egyptians was Badakhshan, in northeastern Afghanistan. But today we find this wonderful deep blue crystal in Pakistan, as well.

The benefits

It is one of our favourite crystals for developing intuition, concentration and focus during meditation - as it activates and connects our ancestral wisdom with our consciousness.

It improves concentration, especially when studying. Known as the ‘crystal cheat sheet’, it helps you memorise, process and rationalise what you’ve learned. For this reason, we recommend studying with the crystal - and even taking it to the exam with you!

It is also a great crystal to help treat vision, especially nearsightedness and farsightedness, preventing its progression.

In animals, it helps to establish a language of communication with the caregiver and vice versa.

It is a crystal that we fall in love with for its colour and energy and is good for meditation or in moments of learning.